Sisters Grimm: Once Upon a Crime

Multiple award-winning author Michael Buckley's New York Times best-selling Sisters Grimm series is phenomenally popular. In their fourth adventure, Sabrina, Daphne, Granny Relda, and Puck hit the streets of New York City to search for Puck's family. They quickly get wrapped up in a murder investigation, however, when a maniacal Everafter is discovered to be on the loose.

My daughter LOVED this series and this book in particular. This is a great light listen, and extremely appropriate for children under 10, especially girls. I thought this book was extremely well written and the story was very enjoyable. My daughter would give it 5 stars across the board, I gave it 4 because I like to save the 5 stars for books that I (that is ME) can't put down. If I could I would probably give this book 4.5 stars...the only thing that keeps this from 5 stars is because it is very much so a children's book and thus was just a bit predictable for an adult. That said, the main characters of this book are strong, relatable female characters that I liked my daughter to listen to. I felt that they showed her how young girls could be strong and demonstrated how sisters should look out for each other. I highly recommend this novel for people with young girls and who want to listen to something together. I also recommend it to anybody with children (of any sort), or for adults who enjoy books with the light atmosphere of "young adult/children" stories like atmosphere of the early books of Harry Potter or the Septimus Heap books. Now that I have said that I should clarify that this book only compares to HP and SP in the style/tone of the story...the plot and everything else are NOTHING like HP and SP. I would describe the The Sisters Grimm as a "fairy tale/fantasy realism/mystery/detective children???s novel. NOT "swords and magic fantasy". But the at

Dragon Champion: Age of Fire, Book 1

High in the mountains, deep in the safety of a cave, a brood of dragons is born. The four young ones are among the last of a dying breed---the final hope for dragons' survival. But hope shatters when a murderous group of slave-trading dwarves breaks into the cave, leaving death and destruction in its wake. Only young Auron, a rare scaleless gray dragon, manages to escape.

The Lives of Christopher Chant

Christopher Chant has no real power. He can't perform spells or do anything magical. However, he does possess something that most humans do not. Christopher has nine lives. Gerard Doyle's spellbinding narration is sure to capture every listener's attention.

Magic Breaks: Kate Daniels, Book 7

No matter how much the paranormal politics of Atlanta change, one thing always remains the same: If there' s trouble, Kate Daniels will be in the middle of it. As the mate of the Beast Lord, Curran, former mercenary Kate Daniels has more responsibilities than it seems possible to juggle. Not only is she still struggling to keep her investigative business afloat, she must now deal with the affairs of the pack, including preparing her people for attack from Roland, a cruel ancient being with god-like powers.

Ok, I wanted to like the book. I REALLY wanted to like this book. All the previous books in the series were amongst my favorite. The character Kate Daniels was FUN to read/listen. Remember when she was fighting in the Arena in one of the previous books, where she first came to the attention of Hugh, and an older cocky competitor asks her what she meant about remembering what is was like to fight in arena? Because she was too young to fight in the last gladiator arenas, and she tells him how her father made her fight in some other arena years ago...then the guy realizes that the 13 year old girl he saw fight years ago is the same person standing right before him...and he darn near poops his pants right there and runs off to figure out how the heck he and his team were going to survive this?...That was the *fun* Kate Daniels...this Kate Daniels spend FAAAAARRR to much time wondering where Kern is..."Ohh, where is Kern?...I LOVE Kern.....Kern will save me....Oh My gosh, I sooo want to have Kern's babies." It was annoying!! I kept hoping that Kick-butt Kate would return, and she does at the very end of the book. But for the first 75-85% we get whiny Kate. I get what Illona is trying to do, she is trying to convey the emotional growth that is transforming Kate from a loner killer into a family women. But I am afraid I don't buy it. While all character need to grow and evolve in a a series this long, I just felt that Kate's growth would have been more "I want to be married, so I am going to kill everyone who tries to prevent it", and then actually killing them. I this novel, Kern and the other weres are the big bad and Kate seems to be always waiting for Kern to show up and take care of the problem. Yes, she leads them, but it is the weres doing the vast majority of the work while she pines for Kern.

I have to point out, that the real problem may have been in the narrator's interpretation. It seemed to me that when a line could be read two ways, for example "where is Kern". The narrator opted for a more simpering quiet "Where is Kern" instead of a shouting angry "WHERE IS KERN!!!" . I may have to try reading the novel to see if Angry Kate was there all along.

All this....and I have to admit I still liked the book overall. I like this series. The writing is still mostly superb, and the characters are very well conceived and fully fleshed. I like these characters and I wanted to see how this story arc finished, and I liked how it ended. There will supposedly be three more novels in the World of Kate Daniels, and the ending sets up what may be a very fun and exciting story arc. While this is the weakest novel in the series (in my opinion) overall this is still a good book/listen.

Annihilation: Love Conquers All

Tag, an exceptional young human living in Central City on the planet Earth, tries to keep his powerful, one-of-a-kind skills undetected by leading an ordinary life and staying under the radar. But one day, on the way home from school, Tag's compassion leads him to make a decision that alters the course of his life - and history.

I purchased this book on a whim because it hit one of the sales on Audible. I normally don't go for sci-fi military novels, but occasionally I pick one up, so I did not have much expectation, I just thought it sounded interesting...but not interesting enough to pay full price. I was wrong about that. I admit, I had a very hard time turning this book off. I listened to the entire book within 36 hours. I even stayed up to 3am last night to finish it. The story is engrossing, although it is hard to tell you why exactly. Mr. Saxon's language is not particularly complex or impressive, but it remains compelling. Perhaps it is the very simpleness of how he tells this story that conveys the beauty of the protagonist's life. The production, and it was a production, of the reading was top notch. The main author was complemented seamlessly with the various voices that portrayed the some of the characters. I don't think that there was a new voice for every character, just the main characters and I am pretty sure a few other voice actors were involved with creating them. But, unlike some other productions, this production did NOT forget to keep including the " said" (voiced by main reader) during the reading. To make it clear a sentence like "Bring up the star drive, said Captain Orvlosky" would have two voices, one voice would "be" Cpt Orvlosky and the second would be the main reader say "said Capatin orvlosky". In other productions that attempted this, the exchange would be clumsy with awkward breaks between the two voices. Not in this production. I really felt that the production was top notch. The story itself is not nearly as maudlin as the title may lead someone to expect. This is not a "romance novel", there are no "heaving bosoms" or "swelling manhood". It is though, in part a love story, a love story between two very young characters (17 - 20). And I liked how the author kept the love story at a realistic level for two people of that age during the 3 years the book takes place. It is also a sci-fi military thriller with a philosophical bent. I will admit the aptitude with which each side was able to discern their opponents motives and actions was, at times, a bit over the top. But to be honest, I did not even mind it then.

Some reviews on Amazon criticize the language of this book (one in particular) and the supposed lack of skill of the author. Well, I hold a BA in English Lit. I see what they are talking about, but I think they are wrong in hating this book. I would have to label those reviewers as that type of reader who are a bit on the pretentious side. Where every book they read must drip with social comment and Shakespearean overtones. They can not appreciate a novel that simply tells a simple story. This novel tells a simple story, with simple language. And I think that is why the novel is so engrossing...perhaps the difference is in reading vs. listening. But I thought this was a great listen.

The Dirty Streets of Heaven: Bobby Dollar, Book 1

Bobby Dollar is an angel - a real one. He knows a lot about sin, and not just in his professional capacity as an advocate for souls caught between Heaven and Hell. Bobby’s wrestling with a few deadly sins of his own - pride, anger, even lust. But his problems aren’t all his fault. Bobby can’t entirely trust his heavenly superiors, and he’s not too sure about any of his fellow earthbound angels either, especially the new kid that Heaven has dropped into their midst, a trainee angel who asks too many questions.

I came into this book with little expectations, I have read some of Tad Williams other novels and had mixed reactions to them. Some I liked a great deal, others...not so much. But I was looking for something a little different from my usual fare, and the title of this novel intrigued me. The base world of this novel is contemporary Earth, near San Francisco but in this world angels and devils/demons walk among us every day. You see, they all have day jobs in the employ of Heaven and Hell as part of the eternal struggle of Heaven and Hell for the souls of the living. At our deaths we are put on trial, a literal trial..complete with Judge (an angel) an advocate (basically an angelic public defender assigned by the court) and a demonic prosecutor assigned by hell. The prosecutor and the advocate present arguments why the soul should be damned or a saved. I will admit, at first I was not liking this novel, I am not much for overtly religious rhetoric and feared that this novel would devolve into a treatise on the pros and cons of Judeao-Christian-Islamic religious dogma. Luckily it did not, Mr. Williams keeps clear of endorsing or refuting any particular religious dogma and presents his world largely outside the constraints of established contemporary religious thought. He sticks to the story and the characters instead. The lead character of this novel can be described as a slightly dis-enchanted advocate of Heaven. A kind of gritty angelic Colombo character, and he is very entertaining. I enjoyed the character self-deprecation and infinite compassion. All the characters in the novel were well conceived, and explored. Completely believable albeit in a "film noir" way. The novel was light, funny, and at times poignant. I highly recommend this novel for those of you who like a "gum-shoe" type tale with a supernatural twist, and especially for those of you who have never read a "gritty PI"-style novel but are a bit curious about one.

Born of Hatred: The Hellequin Chronicles, Book 2

When Nathan Garrett’s friend seeks his help investigating a bloody serial killer, the pattern of horrific crimes leads to a creature of pure malevolence, born of hatred and dark magic. As powerful as he is, Nate fears he may be overmatched, but when evil targets those he cares about and he is confronted by dire threats both old and new, Nate must reveal a secret from his recently remembered past to remind his enemies why they should fear him once more.

In this book Mr. McHugh really starts to delve into what makes Nathan tick, and by the end you realize that you REALLY want Nathan on your side. I am really enjoying this character, who is becoming for me the quintessential anti-hero. He is dark, angry, nuanced, and very self-righteous, even downright scary...a true "bad@$$" The character just keep getting deeper and deeper throughout this book and I could not wait to discover what next secret Mr. McHugh was going to divulge. Now that Nathan has his memories back, we also get to start meeting some of the people from his past, and they don't disappoint either. The characters in this book are amongst some of the most interesting characters I have ever met, even the bad guy in this novel had me intensely curious about his past. While the plot if this book is tense, gripping, and well-paced what really drives this book are Mr. McHugh's characters. He provides detailed back story for almost every character we meet in this novel, including one of the most complete back stories for the evil protagonist I have ever come across. I was particularly impressed how he presented the "bad guy's” backstory in small little tidbits delivered throughout the novel as part of the action of the "present day" action. Most authors provide the back story of the protagonist as a one off flash back presented in a couple of pages. The result is usually an, at least somewhat, one dimensional origin story. Not here, the protagonist was almost as intriguing to discover as Nathan's past.

As for the plot itself, as I said, it is intense and gripping. We have two plots in play, the major plot of a really evil person doing really evil things whom needs to be stopped. But we also get a secondary plot of evil behind the scenes machinations of which the main plot is only a part. We meet a very evil protagonist and are given hints at a larger, more menacing master controlling things behind the scenes. Both plots mover at the exact correct speed and with a perfect balance of detail. Once again Mr. McHugh is able to accomplish telling his story without going "to far". I personally don't like to read about truly horrific things done to nice people in such detail that it gives me nightmares. I like them stated, but not overly dwelled upon so that I get the level of evil that is happening without wanting to scrub my brain out with soap afterwards, and Mr. McHugh for me reaches this exact level. I highly recommend this novel for adults who want a light easy listen.

Crimes Against Magic: The Hellequin Chronicles, Book 1

How do you keep the people you care about safe from enemies you can’t remember? Ten years ago, Nate Garrett awoke on a cold warehouse floor with no memory of his past and the only clues to his identity were a piece of paper with his name on it and a propensity toward magic. Now he’s a powerful sorcerer and a successful thief for hire, but it turns out that those who stole his memories aren’t done with him yet. When they cause a job to go bad, threatening a sixteen-year-old girl, Nate swears to protect her.

This take on the paranormal detective/mystery novel is one of the better worlds I have come across. In a nutshell, in this world all the old legends are true, the old gods are/were real etc... and now live in secret in the modern day world. A secret hidden island/land, called Avalon, is where the seat of power that rules these hidden entities resides. Our intrepid Hero runs afoul of an evil cabal out of Avalon, and must fight his way clear. What made this book for me was our intrepid hero. While he is definitely a "good guy", he is no overgrown boy scout. He is dark, angry, and at times vicious. He is more avenging angel then superman, if you know what I mean. The story itself while at times dark, is well written, intriguing and easy to follow and never gets so dark that you want to fast forward. Mr. McHugh is an excellent writer, who is able to keep his language simple while still remaining very descriptive as he paints his world. If you are looking for a light adult listen, I can highly recommend this book. I have already purchased the second novel and am looking forward to it.

Gunmetal Magic

After being kicked out of the Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid, Andrea's whole existence is in shambles. She tries to put herself back together by working for Cutting Edge, a small investigative firm owned by her best friend. When several shapeshifters working for Raphael Medrano-the male alpha of the Clan Bouda, and Andrea's former lover-die unexpectedly at a dig site, Andrea is assigned to investigate.

First off, I have to get it off my chest, it has to be said that the cover art is moronic...all I can think is if she fires that gun she will be smacked in the face by the recoil, and fails to convey the "hard sharpshooting" mystic that is supposed to be Andrea. But oh well, who cares about that anyways. The story: The story is a little aggravating, even annoying at times. I think that Ms. Andrews is trying to explore the ramifications of shape shifters who are subject to becoming mated, a condition that is supposedly a great deal more intense than just married and apparently consists of a biological attachment as much as a romantic attachment, and how it affects a person who also possess a human mind that is capable of deciding against the mating. Basically what I am trying to say is that half of this book is about how Andrea and Raphael fight this "mating" and the emotional and intellectual angst this creates in Andrea's mind. Unfortunately is makes Andrea come across a bit like a dimwitted teenage girl. I did not like the whole "irresistibly drawn to him" subplots and "what the hell is wrong with me" angst that permeates much of this novel. But the overall story/plot line was not bad. Andrea investigates a murder, said investigation leads to major bad guy that needs to be defeated. (I don't want to give away any spoilers). When Andrea is not whining about Raphael, she is an interesting character whom I came to root for. It helps that the Narration was quite good. If, like me, you have come to really enjoy the Kate Daniels series, of which this is an offshoot (pun intended), you will probably enjoy the novel. But if this is your first foray into Ilona Andrews novels, I suggest you read the Kate Daniels series first (Magic Bites is book 1). I found this one a little on the average side, although I did enjoy it for the most part. Of course if you LIKE listening to the whiney ramblings of a teen-age like women pine after an ex-boyfriend whom she "just can't seem to call" to discuss the issue, and then wonders why that is not working. So she spends all her time getting angry and... well, acting like a jilted teenage girl ..then hell… you will probably love this book. I just can't bring myself to believe that rational, real women act like that so I find it annoying.

Ghosthunters and the Incredibly Revolting Ghost

Nine-year-old Tom Tomsky can't catch a break. He's a klutz, his sister Lola pretty much hates his guts, and (this is a big "and") he just found a ghost camping out in his cellar. Lucky for Tom, his grandma's best friend just happens to be the world's foremost ghosthunter.

So I did not get to listen to this book as my 6 year old daughter finished it in one sitting. SHE wants to review it though so what follows is her words, I am merely the typist. " I liked the book because I really like ghosts and because I liked the A.S.G. (Averagely Spooky Ghosts) and I liked the I.R.G. (Incredebly Revolting Ghost). I liked the song the I.R.G. sang when he was playin on the piano. The I.R.G. was really funny. I liked the A.S.G.'s name because it sounded neat. And I liked how the A.S.G. scared the mean sister."

(translation by Dad)My daughter LOVED this book, it really caught her imagination and she is dying to get the second in the series. I could hear her laughing and squealing from her room the entire time she listened to the book. She thought the characters were really funny and she became quite invested in their lives and story. Note to parents: while in the end everything turned out well, there were points in the book that worked her imagination to the point that she got a little scared. The next night she said that she was too scared to sleep alone, but when I told her that if the book scared her that much she could not get the second...that ended that thought...but I do think that there were points in the book that were a little scary, so I suggest not letting young children listen to it at night. :)

My Naughty Little Sister

My naughty little sister is the naughtiest little girl in the world. She is guaranteed to cause mischief wherever she goes! She digs up the garden, eats all the trifle and she doesn't even like Father Christmas!

OK...this is one of those books that adults are going to have to sit through. As an adult, this book is too simplistic and clearly geared to young children to really be enjoyable. That being said, it is not a torture to listen to it. My daughter on the other hand LOVED it, she talked about it all the time, and she even teased/reassured her younger sister that she was not so quite as "naughty" as the namesake of the book. Indeed, this is the first book that she "rated" herself...she literally told me how many stars I should rate this book when she saw me on the website. One of the nice things about this book is that the chapters are nicely divided by "story", each chapter is a stand-alone little story about "my naughty little sister" and what she and her friends were up to. I think my daughter liked the book so much because these stories were simple, realistic, and (I suspect) possibly true. She is able to relate to the stories very well, and I think it made her feel better to realize that little sisters are the same the world over. I do recommend this book, and my daughter highly recommends it.

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